How To Convert a Scanned PDF to Word Online

If you've ever tried copying text from a scanned PDF, you know it doesn’t work. The text is basically a picture, and Word can’t edit pictures of text. That’s where OCR (optical character recognition) comes in.

We’ll walk you through exactly how to convert a scanned PDF to Word using Smallpdf and Microsoft Word, including what to expect, what’s free, and how to fix issues if they come up.

How To Convert a Scanned PDF to Word: Step-by-Step Guide

You can do it in two very easy ways and that's by using Smallpdf online converter with OCR or by trying your luck using Microsoft Word (because it can leave you with a broken format or layout).

Here's how to convert a scanned PDF using Smallpdf:

Step 1: Try Uploading the Scanned PDF to Smallpdf

Go to PDF to Word. Drag and drop your file or upload it from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or your device.

Step 2: Choose OCR Mode

If your PDF is scanned, you’ll need to use the OCR option to extract real text from the image. This is a Pro feature, but it’s available with a free 7-day trial — no credit card required upfront.

Once you choose OCR, click “Convert.”

Step 3: Download the Editable Word File

After the scan completes, download your new .docx file. You can now open and edit it if you need to with our Edit PDF, or directly in your Microsoft Word.

The result will include editable paragraphs, text blocks, and even tables — depending on the original scan quality.

How To Convert a Scanned PDF Using Microsoft Word (Offline Option)

You can also try converting a scanned PDF using Microsoft Word. This only works well for very basic files.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Word and Select the PDF

Click File > Open, then find your scanned PDF. You may need to change the file type filter to show PDF files.

Step 2: Let Word Import the File

Word will warn you it’s converting the file. Click OK and let it process the document.

Step 3: Save as DOCX

Once Word opens the converted content, go to File > Save As and save it as a .docx file.

What to Expect from Microsoft Word

If your scanned PDF has clean lines, high contrast, and simple formatting, Word may be able to extract the text.

However, Microsoft Word doesn’t use proper OCR. Meaning it won’t recognize characters from image-based files — it just tries to convert the visual content directly.

As a result, you might see broken layouts, missing sections, or unreadable text in the converted file.

What Does “Scanned PDF to Word” Mean?

A scanned PDF is a document saved as an image. That means there’s no actual text data in the file — just a visual copy of the page.

Converting it to Word means turning those images into real, editable text using OCR. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) recognizes the shapes of letters and digits and re-creates the content as Word-compatible text.

How To Fix Issues When Converting Scanned PDFs

OCR isn’t perfect, especially if the scan is blurry or skewed. Here’s how to fix common problems:

1. Blurry or Cut-Off Text

Try rescanning the document using higher resolution (300 DPI or more). OCR needs clear characters to work correctly.

2. Text Is Still Not Editable

Make sure you selected the OCR option during conversion. If you skip it, PDF to Word will only extract images from the scanned file.

3. Broken Formatting

If tables or layouts didn’t convert cleanly, copy the text into a blank Word document and rebuild the structure manually.

4. Can't Upload Large Files

Compress the PDF first; it can speed up conversion and help with file limits.

Can You Convert Scanned PDFs to Word on Mobile?

Yes, you can. Open the Smallpdf Mobile App on your iPhone or Android device. Upload the scanned PDF, enable OCR, and convert it directly on your phone.

The converted DOCX can then be opened in Microsoft Word Mobile, Google Docs, or any other app that supports Word files.

FAQs

1. Can you convert a scanned PDF to Word for free?

Yes. You can convert scanned PDFs using PDF to Word and choose the OCR option with a free 7-day trial. You don’t need an account to start.

2. Does OCR work on all scanned PDFs?

It works best on clean, high-resolution scans with printed text. Handwriting or blurry scans may give mixed results.

3. Can I convert multiple scanned PDFs to Word?

You can convert files one at a time using the free version. If you have several, repeat the upload and convert steps for each.

4. Is the OCR feature secure?

Yes. All files are encrypted during upload and deleted shortly after processing. Your data stays private unless you save files with an account.

5. Will my formatting stay the same after conversion?

Smallpdf tries to preserve layout as much as possible. But with scanned files, some formatting may shift depending on the original structure.

Convert Scanned PDF to Editable Word With Smallpdf

This is our favorite option because—full disclosure—we built it. But wait, hear this out.

With Smallpdf, you can convert an editable PDF to Word completely free, without an email address or registering for an account.

If you have a scanned PDF, you’ll need to use OCR to scan the PDF text, which is a Pro feature (but you can take advantage of the 7-day trial to convert your PDF for free—don’t tell our Finance team we told you this).

Both options are fast, easy, and accessible from anywhere. Just upload a scanned PDF and get back an editable Word docx file.

Here’s how to convert a scanned PDF to Word online with Smallpdf:

1. Go to the Smallpdf PDF to Word Converter.
2. Choose your PDF file, or just drag-and-drop it into the box.
3. Select the option for selectable text (free) or OCR (Pro with trial).
4. Wait just a few seconds for the conversion to finish.
5. Download your editable Word file.

Smallpdf is an online PDF converter, so it works from any browser on any device, as long as you have an internet connection.

Your files are also encrypted with advanced TLS encryption, so it’s completely secure. All files are deleted from our Smallpdf servers after conversion, unless you choose to create an account to save your files. The choice is yours.

Which Scan to PDF Method Is Best for You?

There’s rarely an absolute best option, but here’s our suggestion for turning scans into Word docs.

If you have a simple text document created from a scan or photograph, first try to import it directly using MS Word. It may require a few small edits after conversion, but if it works, you save the hassle of using multiple tools.

If you’re working with longer PDFs that have tables, graphics, and custom formatting, Smallpdf might be your better bet. It’s fast and available instantly from any machine. You can even try the one-click OCR PDF to Word feature for free.

Be aware that there’s a 5GB file size limitation with the free version. But unless you’re working with huge high-resolution, graphic-intensive scans, that should be more than enough for most PDF needs.

If fast and free is your aim, click below and you’ll be done in no time.